Chapter 390 Reminiscing Over Past Failures
Nasir stood quietly in the stands of the arena in Fort White as he watched the three Demon boys that he was put in charge of. They were currently going all out in a spar, with them being against each other.
Every time Nasir looked at the boys, he was reminded of all the time he spent in servitude of Ashtar. And then, he was reminded of how he was captured and turned into a servant in the first place.
The truth had come out when the High General had been fighting against Leonidas. He had an extremely rare and unique affinity for time. Even though it was so tiny that it almost did not matter, that affinity manifested into a skill that allowed him to freeze time within a certain area.
It was not only that either. Because of this affinity, Ashtar was able to develop a heightened sense and reaction time compared to others.
As Nasir thought about this, the circumstances behind his failure to assassinate the High General during the Great Shift became clearer and clearer.
'It was not my fault entirely. Yes, I was weak, but even a powerhouse like Leonidas was able to be grievously wounded by Ashtar in just a few short moments.' Nasir tried to console himself. He had accepted his defeat, but that did not make him any less bitter.
He recalled how easily he had been pinned down by Ashtar, and his attack had been evaded, and when the thought that Ashtar had simply paused time the instant his instincts kicked in, Nasir could not help but feel a bitter taste spread in his mouth.
"Take that!" Nasir's attention turned back to the boys at a sudden exclamation. He wanted to make sure he stepped in before they could gain any grievous injuries.
He watched as Lance kicked Balak in the middle, sending him flying away, before smoothly turned and blocking a strike from Barak. He waved his sword, sending out a red-gold wave of energy that Barak quickly dodged.
Several more followed, but Barak used mana to reinforce his fists through a skill and broke each wave of energy through brute force. He had a focused look on his face that was covered with dirt and dust.
Meanwhile, as the two of them fought, Balak stood up while holding his side. His eyes gleamed wistfully, as if he wished to get back into the fight, but he shook his head and turned to leave the ring, approaching Nasir.
"Are you giving up already?" Nasir asked with a smile.
"Eh, not really." Balak chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm living to fight another day." He grinned, showing off sharp teeth.
"A good saying." Nasir laughed and shook his head. At this point, he somewhat saw these boys as children that he needed to take care of. He felt like something of a stepfather to them. "Who do you think will win between the two of them?" He asked and pointed to the two still embroiled in a fight.
Barak occasionally threw some nasty and provoking comments at Lance to try and drive Lance into taking on a more aggressive style, but he was unable to do so. Lance had become very steady and level headed after the war. The turning point in his attitude was when he had recovered his severed arm.
That experience had opened Lance's eyes to how easy it was for him to lose his life in a battle where stronger powers were clashing nearby. One rash move, or losing sight of the surroundings was enough to end his life.
Because of that, his mentality had undergone a profound change, making him much more calmer, analyzing, and level-headed than before. His fighting style had also undergone a drastic change, which he used to torment the twins during spars before they adapted to it somewhat. Even still, he usually held the upper hand during their spars as of late.
"Eh, Lance will probably win. He's already stronger than us in the first place in a one on one match. Then with his new fighting style, he's an entirely different monster." Balak said with a serious tone as he watched the fight.
Just like he said, Lance was pushing Barak into a corner. He did not use any fancy moves or anything, but with the way he attacked, the other boy did not see any openings to exploit. His paths to escape the enclosure were also blocked by Lance's ceaseless barrage.
"I give up!" Barak eventually declared when his back hit the wall of the fighting pit of the arena. He held up his arms with a sigh.
"Heh, I thought you were going to keep fighting." Lance chuckled and put his sword away, sliding it into its sheath.
"Whatever." Barak sighed and walked away from the pit. He had a deep frown on his face.
Balak also frowned when he saw this.
"He's pissed." The 'dumber' of the twins said. His frown turned thoughtful. "Before, all three of us stood on the same level, but after what happened when he lost his arm, his growth seems to have been boosted." The boy said calmly.
Naturally, as their guardian, Nasir was already aware of what had happened concerning Lance losing his arm and it being regrown. He knew what Balak was talking about, and he had also noted the change.
"I believe this boost is for the best. I don't know why it happened, but a boost in growth speed and strength is a good thing as long as it does not make whoever was lucky enough to receive it lose control." Nasir thought for a moment before saying.
"If you say so." Balak shrugged his shoulders and turned to where he brother had left the arena from. "I will go and make sure my brother is fine. He can get moody sometimes and do dumb things even though he's the smart one." Balak sighed and waved at Nasir before chasing after his brother.
Nasir just stood as he was, watching as Lance held up his sword and admired it under the sun.
'I hope the future remains as bright as the sun...'
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